


Yellow Lion, Red Heart

by wancemcwain



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Black Paladin Griffin, Blue Paladin Veronica, Bonding over cleaning the yellow lion, Developing Relationship, Edited to add characters' official names, Everyone in S7 is an asshole and none of them deserve Lance, Fluff, Green Paladin Leifsdottir, Kinkade looks like he'd treat him RIGHT, Light Angst, M/M, New paladins, Post Galra War, Red Paladin Rizavi, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Yellow Paladin Kinkade, Yellow is a sweetheart, as in lance is over it but keith realized it Too Late, can you tell I don't like james, very one sided klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 17:27:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15690018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wancemcwain/pseuds/wancemcwain
Summary: After the war against the Galra is finally over, Lance finds himself lonely after Voltron is no longer bringing him and his friends together. With new paladins replacing them as they take their well deserved retirement from defending the universe, Lance has a bit of free time at the end of the day he spends at the hangar, talking to the unresponsive lions.Who would've thought a simple visit would turn his life around?





	Yellow Lion, Red Heart

**Author's Note:**

> god I am SO MAD at how they treated Lance this season, no one deserves him and s7 Keith can go suck an entire lemon tree I want s3 Keith back
> 
> I named Kinkade Charles because he's spot on how I always imagined Charles Beckendorf from the Percy Jackson series to look like. In case we get his name in s8 I'll edit this but tbh I feel like we're not getting much about him in the last season (hmmmm I wonder why) EDIT: HIS OFFICIAL NAME'S RYAN.
> 
> This was supposed to be something short and sweet but before I realized I was pushing 6k and it was STILL NOT ENOUGH, I actually wanted to keep going but ajshdgjagdsjgf
> 
> Also btw I don't like James at all but I know damn well what dreamworks is doing with all these parallels with Keith I can tell they're gonna give him Black I can't stand it but oh well it makes for some jokes
> 
> This is absolutely self indulgent and probably ooc it's just my way of getting rid of all the EMOTIONS I have after that season I love Keith I really do but he needs to get his shit together
> 
> if this makes it seem like I'm making Lance too good is because a) he is and b) I'm just balancing out how they treat him like shit every single episode EXCEPT when he's useful to make the others feel good about themselves lmao what's up with that

The past few weeks had been difficult.

 

 

So many lives lost, so many countries brought down to smoke and ashes; life on Earth would never be the same, and they all knew it. With almost half of humanity wiped off by the Galra attack and the rest trying to reconstruct what was left of their past lives, it seemed almost uncomfortably mundane that the Garrison resumed it’s usual training and teaching routine as if the world outside wasn’t in shambles.

 

 

‘It’s for the best’, they’d all said. ‘We know now we are Earth’s last line of defense in case this happens again, we can’t slack off’. Didn’t mean Lance felt comfortable having to go back to his old spot as a cadet.

 

 

It wasn’t even that the strict schedule and classes were boring to him now after everything he went through in space; he welcomed routine after so long of living every day like it could be his last.

 

 

It was that it seemed everyone had agreed he, and only he, was exactly in the same spot he started at: Fighter pilot in last place of the class, allowed in by sheer luck, not good enough for even the flight simulators. Nevermind he was one of the few people chosen to pilot an intergalactic sentient robot and fought hand to hand against the most dangerous alien race in the universe.

 

 

It was funny, in a way, how after the war was finally over they all received the praise they deserved and the parade they so often joked about. But it almost seemed like now that they were back home, there was nothing holding them together anymore.

 

 

Or at least nothing holding _them_ to Lance anymore.

 

 

Shiro had been the least surprising. The man seemed to only care about what Keith had to say, and any figure of recognized authority. He respected Sam Holt and, by extension, Pidge. He listened to Krolia and Kolivan. He met up regularly with Allura and Coran. Hunk wasn’t on his radar but the boy spend so much time with Pidge he might as well consider him part of his little gang. Lance would ask him for the time of day and Shiro would tell him he was too busy.

 

 

Keith had been different since he arrived from his trip to the Altean facility. Two years away from them had turned him into a serious and to-the-point grown man, ready to take back his spot as the leader and completely ignore the playful rivalry he had grown into with Lance. He had even less time for the team since he was offered a spot as instructor in the Garrison under Shiro’s recommendation.

 

 

Pidge had never actually been that close to Lance, or at least not as close as Lance felt they were. Lance was a family man who had gravitated towards the youngest of the group in his instinctual need to make her feel safe, but it was fairly obvious she was mature enough to see him as more of a nuisance than a brotherly figure.

 

Hunk had been the one that hurt the most. Best friends from childhood, Lance had expected their bond to stay strong through the years, but it seemed as soon as Hunk found an intellectual equal in Pidge he had all but forgotten about Lance. It hurt to hear him agree with the rest, making fun of Lance for his feelings or inferior intellect, nevertheless he was the only average one in a team made up of geniuses. Lance knew he had lost his best friend somewhere along the way, but he didn’t expect him to completely throw him aside once their mission was over.

 

 

To not even mention the mess that happened with Allura. He was really happy for her and Romelle, he really was! But he couldn’t help feeling like his emotions were being played with, what with her shunning him and then getting close again at her leisure, only to finally decide they were better off as friends.

 

 

He found comfort in his family and the small number of young cadets who saw him as the hero the rest couldn’t see him as. It was funny, how it was always the kids who walked up to him during meal time to ask him for pictures of piloting tips. He knew it was because he was one of the most approachable paladins and had time to take them to the simulator after class to oversee and give his suggestions, but he liked to think he was their first option as well.

 

 

After everything was said and done, the paladins had officially retired and the lions had chosen new paladins, as they couldn’t be left to gather dust in case they were needed again. It was a surprise to no one when the four MFE pilots were chosen to be their new pilots, and it filled his chest with pride to see Veronica being called by Blue very much like he had been. Still, he worried about her; he had just been returned home to his family only to see his own sister be chosen for the next battle. Was this how she felt when he disappeared?

 

 

With Shiro in charge of the Atlas, it fell on the ex-paladins’ shoulders to train the new ones. Keith seemed to have reached a point of maturity that allowed him to figure out his history with James and put it behind them to teach him the intricacies of piloting the Black lion. It sat wrong with Lance, seeing someone else seated behind such an important force, but it was something out of his control; if Black thought freaking James Griffin was a worthy pilot then there was nothing he could do.

 

 

Ina Leifsdottir, Ryan Kinkade, Nadia Rizavi and Veronica had fallen easily into place in their respective lions, and had been working closely with the ex-crew to reach their highest potential as pilots. Lance would’ve wished to help his sister more with Blue, but it fell on him to teach Rizavi the ways of the Red lion’s temperament while Allura bonded with Veronica through Blue’s calming influence.

 

 

Nadia was an amazing pilot who loved extreme experiences and top-of-the-line speed, so she and Red got along like peas in a pod. It wasn’t too long until she stopped going to him with questions.

 

 

The Atlas was a massive mecha that also served as ship and a replacement for the Castle of Lions, and so it was common to find the lions recharging in the hangars and their pilots training in the built-in simulator and training rooms. As an old paladin of Voltron, Lance had complete clearance into the ship and the hangars, despite his common rank as cadet. Seemed his experience wasn’t enough to oversee his grades in class.

 

 

Lance found himself with a bit of free time in his hands. He excelled every flight simulator with ease and had beaten every record in the shooting range. He could only study so much before his brain stopped retaining information and there was a limit to how much training his body could take. Time that would normally be taken up by spending time with his friends was now free and empty, and he found himself walking mindlessly towards the hangars at the end of every day. He would nod to the officers he would come across, ignoring how Keith and Shiro seemed to not notice him when he walked right past them.

 

 

The lions didn’t respond to him anymore. The same way Blue had shut off all connection with him after he was chosen by Red, now Red had closed him out in favor of his new paladin. Still, being among them in the silence of the hangars filled him with a sense of peace he couldn’t get amid the crowds of the Garrison.

 

 

“Hey beautiful, seems Veronica forgot to clean your claws” He said aloud, the dark eyes of the Blue lion staring straight ahead into nothingness. He picked up a nearby rag and a bucket of clean water and got to work on her giant paws. “Don’t worry, she won’t let you look bad. It’s just she’s been busy with relief efforts, you know? She’s ranked very high now that she was key in defeating the Galra invasion, so she has work up to her ears”

 

 

The soft swoosh of the doors opening and closing reached his ears but he tuned it out. It wasn’t rare for officers or the paladins to stop by outside of their usual hours just to study the lions or work on their bonds. It also wasn’t the first time they’d arrived while Lance was there, talking to them. They’d just learned not to question it.

 

 

“Oh, your paint is nicked. Gimme a minute to go get the spray” He told no one in particular, patting the cold metal of the lion as he walked away to the maintenance closet for supplies. “Seriously, you’d think King Alfor would know how to seal paint with all his alchemy” He mumbled as he looked for the right color.

 

 

“King Alfor?”

 

 

Lance jumped at the deep voice coming from somewhere behind him, hitting the back of his head with the shelf overhead. He rubbed at the sore spot as he turned around.

 

 

Kinkade was looking at him with amusement in his usually serious eyes, arms crossed loosely across his chest as he raised an eyebrow at him. The slightest tilt on the corner of his mouth betrayed a smile that was gone as fast as it had appeared.

 

 

The current pilot of the yellow lion wasn’t someone Lance had spent a lot of time with, only the usual pleasantries of introducing themselves during the lulls of the war and a bit of general pointers on how to pilot the lions. It was sort of jarring to see him and take into account all the differences between him and Hunk while thinking on how Yellow had deemed them both equally worthy of him.

 

 

“Uh, Allura’s father” Lance answered the previous question, straightening up. “The guy who built the lions?”

 

 

Kinkade hummed, stepping forward and stretching his arm past Lance’s head. It came back with a can of blue paint that Lance had somehow missed. “Seems painting isn’t the alteans’ forte”

 

 

Lance thought back to when Coran confirmed that Allura, in fact, couldn’t draw for shit—well, not with those _exact_ words, but still. He chuckled as he was handed the can. “Yeah, they’re more of a political slash warrior race, if that makes any sense” He threw the spray in the air a couple of times. “Thanks”

 

 

“No problem” He said, stepping back and walking—surprisingly--towards the Blue lion. He whistled as he approached the paw Lance had been cleaning. “This looks way different with a good wipe down. Guess we really should treat them a bit better, huh?”

 

 

“I mean, I always thought it would make them feel better” Lance explained as he followed. “No one likes to have ten thousand years worth of space dust under their nails”

 

 

Kinkade chuckled, a deep sound that reverberated throughout the hangar. “Maybe I should start giving Yellow the same treatment. Seems he needs it more than the rest”

 

 

The lion in question was looking at them, eyes lit up at the presence of its paladin. The desert sand had dulled it’s color and seemed like it could blend with the desert floor.

 

 

“I think you might be fine” Lance said. “Yellow is the lion of earth. A bit of dust won’t kill him” He patted Blue’s gigantic claw. “This lady, on the other hand, likes her baths a little too much”

 

 

“Veronica hoses her down every two weeks or so”

 

 

Lance snorted. Of course she did. Back home she was the first one to point the backyard hose at whoever unfortunate soul decided to step out of the house first in summer. Lance preferred to dunk himself face first into the ocean.

 

 

The sound of the paint can being shaken was the only one for a moment as Lance pointed the spout at the new nicks Blue had gathered during the biggest battles. He’d have to go down the chemistry labs and request some sort of super powerful sealant to keep the paint in place. Defenders of the universe had to look their best, after all.

 

 

“There we go” He muttered as he gave the finishing touches, wiping any remnants of paint from his hands with the same rag he’d been using a moment ago. “Ready for battle, or the runway. Whichever comes first”

 

 

Kinkade looked at the finished job, humming in approval at the way the new coat shined under the harsh lights of the hangar. “Looks great” He pointed a thumb at Yellow. “Think you could help my with the big boy? I’d like to give him a clean up”

 

 

Lance brightened up, smile pulling just a bit higher on his cheeks. “Really?! I mean, sure, if you want me to”

 

 

“I did ask, didn’t I?” He smiled at Lance, hand rummaging through his jacket pocket. “Do you have your phone with you?”

 

 

“What?” Lance blinked at him, before startling as he understood. “Oh! Yeah, I got it somewhere...” He patted down his clothes, finally fishing out the orange device. He handed it to Kinkade as he received the other’s phone in turn, inputting each other’s numbers.

 

 

After they were done, Kinkade walked to the back of the hangar to pick up a beaten up training dummy, probably the reason he’d come here in the first place. “Well then, I’ll text you to see when we can get started” He waved goodbye as he walked out, stopping to pat Yellow’s paw at the purring of the lion.

 

 

Lance huffed a laugh, going through his phone to check the new contact.

 

 

“Ryan Kinkade, huh” He read aloud, grinning at the cute little lion emoji he’d added next to his name. “Seems my schedule is getting filled up at last”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The first cleaning date was set up for the next week, Ryan texting him to ask if he had any free time to meet up at the hangar.

 

 

Lance had already arrived by the time he got there. He’d shed his uniform jacket, shoes and socks. His pants had been rolled up to his knees as he walked around gathering supplies and setting them around Yellow.

 

 

The mechanic whirring of the lion waking up alerted Lance of the arrival of its paladin, turning around to wave at him with a big smile.

 

 

“Hey! I was setting everything up so we could just start”

 

“Seems you have everything ready”

 

 

“Yeah, the hose is hooked up on the roof so we can start from the top so the dirt just flows down and through the drains”

 

Indeed there was a thick water hose set right above Yellow’s head, and the hangar was built in a slightly elevated angle so the water could flow down to the drains at the bottom and out of the Atlas. Ryan copied Lance and took off his jacket, setting his shoes and socks aside as he rolled up his pant legs as well. All ready to get soaking wet.

 

 

“Alright, come down, boy” He called to the lion, who purred and brought down it’s head. Lance patted the robot’s jaw and climbed up with a practiced and graceful ease that spoke of his years behind the wheel of two of these creatures and maybe some other special training beforehand; the way Lance pulled himself up spoke of unbelievable upper body and core strength. Ryan took a bit longer, his bigger frame making it more difficult to haul himself up.

 

 

Once they were both situated on the lion’s head, it brought its head up gently, sitting perfectly still. Lance pulled out the safety harnesses he’d brought with him and handed one to Ryan, making sure they were both properly secured to the beam overhead.

 

 

“You thought of everything, huh?” Ryan commented as he pulled on his harness to check it.

 

 

Lance chuckled. “Oh, you _don’t_ want to fall from one of this bad boys, trust me. Not every planet out there has the Moon’s gravity to slow your fall, I learned that the hard way”

 

 

Ryan looked at him, frowning slightly. “That sounds painful”

 

 

Lance shrugged. “It’s not the worst that’s happened to me. Occupational hazards and all that” He reached for the hose, turning it on and setting it down to let the water run down the lion’s back. He pulled a sponge the size of a dinner plate out of a bucket and handed it to Ryan before picking up another one for himself.

 

 

“Seems the Garrison’s training it’s not up to par with the real thing, then” Ryan said as he knelt down to start rubbing the dirt of the metal surface. A thick layer of caked mud washed away to reveal vibrant yellow. “Still, must have been amazing visiting so many planets so easily”

 

 

“Oh yeah” Lance copied his position to reach the other side of the lion’s head. “These babies can fly so fast jumping from one galaxy to the next is like taking a trip to the grocery store. Did you know there’s a planet with an entire mall?”

 

 

Ryan blinked at him, surprise clear across his face. “Seriously?”

 

 

“Yeah! They have everything you can think of. There’s even an Earth shop! It’s manned by this guy who looks exactly like the Roswell alien but he wears like, rapper clothes? And he sells a bunch of stuff he picks up from Earth. And every purchase comes with a free Kaltenecker” He chuckled at the last part.

 

 

“Is that where you guys got the cow?” He still remembered the utter astonishment he felt at seeing an actual, ordinary cow step down from the red lion after the battle. It was amazing how the animal had been completely unharmed after the robots had fallen to Earth like potato sacks. They had introduced it as Kaltenecker at the consternation of the officials who asked about it during their stay at the hospital.

 

 

Lance nodded, carefully stepping around to reach a metallic ear to scrub it down. “We got her when Pidge and I bought a video game” His expression turned serious all of a sudden. “She was vital to our sanity” His face cracked a bit. “You just can’t get good milkshakes up there” His grin finally split his face as he laughed loudly, slapping his own leg in mirth.

 

 

Ryan hid his own smile behind his hand. Lance had a very contagious laugh.

 

 

They spent the entire evening working their way down the robot as they talked, Lance sharing stories from their travels in space while Ryan recounted everything that had happened since their disappearance five years ago, managing to clean up to its shoulders before Ryan's alarm ringed on his phone.

 

 

“It’s almost dinner time” He said. “We should get changed and go before everything good is gone”

 

 

“Right. Though I have to say, after having to eat a thousand variations of food goo, even the mystery sandwich sounds heavenly”

 

 

They unlatched their harnesses before Yellow gently lowered its head to let them down, purring loudly at the feeling of being clean after so long. The clothes they’d set aside were just shoved inside their bags as they left the hangar barefoot and leaving wet footprints behind; the uniform rules in the Atlas were way more lenient than those at the Garrison since Shiro was the Captain and he sometimes just didn’t feel like getting out of his pajamas to get breakfast. Walking barefoot and in their undershirts was perfectly acceptable inside the ship. They had to put on their shoes and jackets back on once they transitioned to the proper building though.

 

 

They separated briefly to go to their own rooms to change into dry clothes and met up again in the cafeteria, where they resumed their conversation as if they’d never walked apart.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“What’s Ryan doing over there?” James asked aloud as he squinted towards the table his co-pilot was sitting at. “And with—is that McClain?”

 

 

Veronica jumped out of her seat, looking around until she found the table her brother was sitting at. “Oh, so he actually found the balls to do it, huh” She muttered, grinning as she saw how easily they talked while they ate.

 

 

Nadia tilted her head in confusion. “Do what? Are you talking about Lance?”

 

 

Veronica shook her head, waving her concerns away. “Don’t worry about it. It’s none of our business”

 

 

Ina hummed, messing around with the peas on her plate. “Can’t be none of your business if you know what’s going on in the first place”

 

 

Veronica stuck her tongue out at her, throwing a piece of bread at her face. “You’re no fun”

 

 

James huffed as he turned back to his notebook, empty tray shoved to the side. “Whatever. As long as it doesn’t distract him from flight training”

 

 

He missed Veronica's face, the way she bit her lip and raised her eyebrows slightly. Nadia just tuned it out and focused on her dinner. She trusted Kinkade to be responsible with whatever he was doing. They were still just teens after all.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They kept their little routine of meeting in the evening, cleaning every nook and cranny of the yellow lion as they talked and shared stories or quizzed each other on the material they’d been taught in class. The massive robot gave them enough work to last over a few weeks, considering Lance wanted to spend the weekends with his family and rubbing down a gigantic lion was no fun alone.

 

 

Sometimes they would be interrupted by unexpected visits from the other paladins as they passed by to check on their lions or practice flight drills. Every time Ryan took Yellow for a spin they had to immediately hose it down to avoid all the dust settling and ruining days of work.

 

 

When Keith and Shiro walked in with James in tow for the first time it was a surprise for all three of them to see and hear the usually stoic Kinkade laughing at something Lance had said as they hung from their harnesses to reach the side of the lion’s leg. Keith had wanted to ask what the hell they were doing when Shiro covered his mouth and shook his head, pulling him along towards the black lion. James didn’t miss the frown that settled on Keith’s face for the entire evening as they flew out of the hangar, or the never-ending suffering expression on Shiro’s face at his brother’s sudden anger.

 

 

Lance honestly couldn't remember the last time he had this much fun hanging out with someone, or maybe he did and it was just sad to admit it had been five years ago, the moment he had convinced Hunk to sneak out before he decided to jump down the ledge to chase after Keith’s mullet in a series of events that would led him into space.

 

 

“And then when I showed them where the milkshakes came from, I swear I’ve never seen anything like that! Their faces!” Lance cackled as he remembered the alteans’ faces when he started milking Kaltenecker. “Oh god and when I showed Romelle, she almost passed out!”

 

 

Ryan was grinning unabashedly now, completely different from the ever-present blank face he usually showed to everyone else. He honestly couldn’t believe all the times he saw Lance walking alone through the buildings after the war, how was this guy not surrounded by people at all times? He was hilarious. He also found it very difficult to believe anything non-official related the ex-paladins told him now, considering they had some less than kind words to say about Lance when he wasn’t present during the Voltron debriefing they’d had after they were chosen. Dumb, annoying, lazy, irritating; words Keith particularly had insisted on using when describing Lance’s performance as a paladin. He couldn’t see any of those in the man next to him.

 

 

Truth be told, he’d caught his eye since their stake out mission together at the Galra dome when looking for Hunk’s parents, but Veronica’s comments about the princess and Lance’s reaction made him cool his interest pretty fast.

 

 

Up until he saw the princess holding hands with the other altean girl and Lance sitting alone in the cafeteria a month later.

 

 

He’d asked Veronica what was up with that one morning as they sat on top of their lions, watching Griffin and Rizavi race above them.

 

 

“Oh yeah” She hissed, scratching her neck. “They tried going out for a while but Allura figured out it wasn’t really what she was looking for. She told Lance he was a good and nice guy, but she wasn’t the one for him” She snorted. “Talk about trying to break it in gentle for him. Anyway, she started dating Romelle the next week and that seems to be working for her. Lance hasn’t tried to get involved with anyone since then, which is honestly kinda depressing if you know him as well as I do”

 

 

Ryan hummed thoughtfully. “Hasn’t tried to get involved with ‘anyone’, you say? Not only girls?” He took a gulp of water from his bottle.

 

 

She sighed. “Yeah. It’s not very well known but Lance is openly bi. He just doesn’t mention it unless you ask him or a boy shows genuine interest in him. Last time he tried to hit on a guy it didn’t end well for him. That was years ago and he’s still scared to fuck up and land himself in the hospital again”

 

 

Ryan choked on the water he was drinking, most of it spilling out of his mouth as he coughed. “Hospital?”

 

 

“Yeah, he was just around 14 when he realized he liked boys as well, and when he tried to flirt with this guy he thought was cute” She cringed at the memory. “He beat him up and broke his arm. Three bruised ribs and a black eye. The kid was expelled but Lance never tried it again”

 

 

He frowned, looking down at the ground. “So he just mentions it if someone shows interest?”

 

 

“Or if they ask. Why do wanna knooooooh my god” She gaped at him, then smirked and punched his shoulder. “You dog”

 

 

He tilted one corner of his mouth in a small smile, shrugging. “He’s cute”

 

 

“You better not be after my little brother just because of his face” She wagged her finger at him. “He’s the whole package, he just has a bit of bad luck when it comes to relationships. Lots of heartbreak for him”

 

 

“Good thing I’m not superstitious then”

 

 

“Are you two going to talk about McClain Jr’s love life all morning or can I race someone already” Leifsdottir asked from her spot next to them.

 

 

Veronica sighed, putting her helmet on. “Let’s go, you gremlin”

 

 

Now, having spend so much time with Lance he could confirm what Veronica had said; Lance really was the whole package. He was funny, smart, nice, very talented from what he’d seen in the war, and very easy on the eyes. He couldn’t believe no one had shown genuine, serious interest in him in all this time.

 

 

Lance had kept talking, this time about the sword training he did on his free time with a kendo sword he’d borrowed from a classmate now that Rizavi had his bayard and couldn’t use his broadsword. The balance and weight was vastly different but he made it work.

 

 

“Hey Lance” Ryan said once there was an opening.

 

 

Lance hummed. “Yeah?”

 

 

“I know you like to have the weekends to spend with your family, but I was thinking if you’d like to go to the city this Saturday?”

 

 

Lance stopped scratching the rock solid spot of mud he’d been trying to wash off for the last five minutes and looked at him. “With you?”

 

 

He nodded. “Yeah. I wanted to try the place this guy Vrepit Sal opened up. You said Hunk taught him to actually make good food, right? I’d like to try it”

 

 

“And...you want _me_ to go with you? Not one of the paladins?”

 

 

“I’m asking you, aren’t I?” He splashed some of the water from his bucket at Lance’s face playfully, snickering when the boy shook his head to get rid of it. “It’s fine if you don’t want to. I know your family comes first”

 

 

Lance blinked at him before quickly turning away, scratching his suddenly red cheek. “I mean...I’ve seen them every weekend for the past weeks...I guess I could take a day off to hang out”

 

 

“It wouldn’t take all day. Just lunch and then I’d drop you off” He brought a hand to his chest solemnly. “Like a true gentleman”

 

 

Lance laughed and pushed him away, watching him dangle from side to side like a pendulum. “I’ll think about it. I’ll text you”

 

 

And he did. That very same night Ryan had received the text he’d been waiting for all day, confirming that yes, Lance McClain would like to ‘hang out’ with him. God, was it bad if he didn’t tell Lance he wanted it to be a date? Or would it be safer to just see how it went first and then repeat it later when he knew he wouldn’t be turned down? Feelings were so complicated.

 

 

When Saturday came Ryan had arrived 20 minutes earlier at their meeting point out of pure nervousness, even if it didn’t show on his well kept neutral expression. They’d take one of the cars of the Garrison he’d asked to borrow—Lance couldn’t drive and taking the lion would be too much—and they’d go into the city to the areas that were slowly being rebuilt into habitable conditions.

 

 

“Hey, I’m here!” Lance’s voice called out from down the hall, his usual orange uniform discarded in favor of jeans and—good lord did he plan this?—a long sleeved crop top over a normal tank top (he could tell from the thin straps visible under the wide neck of the shirt, right over his jutting collarbones, and he was going to kill Veronica for not warning him when she knew damn well they were going out today).

 

 

“Hey, you’re early” Ryan commented, looking at the time. It was still 10 minutes until they agreed upon time.

 

 

“Yeah, well, you were here already too” Lance pointed out, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His messenger bag hit his hip with each movement and Ryan really shouldn’t be thinking about his hips right now.

 

 

He let himself be bold and wrapped an arm around Lance’s shoulders, remembering the boy liked physical contact from their time taking breaks in the hangar when Lance would sit glued to him as they talked. “A gentleman is always early”

 

 

Lance snorted. “Sounds like something I’d say” They started moving out towards the parking lot where dozens of identical Garrison cars sat, finding the one that matched the numbers on the key Ryan had been given and hopping in.

 

 

The 30 minute trip almost flew by as messed around, blasting terrible music from their phones since the radio was exclusively for official business, and playing ‘I spy’ where every answer was sand. They parked in an empty lot on the skirts of the ruins of the city and walked the rest of the way in, Ryan's arm right around Lance’s shoulders once more as they entered what had become the commercial district.

 

 

Since the world had been sent into chaos and aliens now covered the streets, the old monetary system was rendered useless and people had reverted into an old bartering and trading system where most of the payment were favors, since the Garrison made sure everyone was well supplied with food and other basic necessities.

 

As they walked down the street people recognized them and would wave at them or ask for photos or autographs—the aliens in particular were throwing themselves all over Lance. One even had a very interesting picture of him dangling in a very particular pose from a rope in what looked like a show. Lance signed that one quickly, trying to prevent Ryan from seeing it from what he could tell from Lance's red cheeks.

 

 

“You’re gonna have to tell me about that one someday” He teased the ex-red paladin as they were left alone once more.

 

 

Lance flushed even more, turning away with a pout. “It’s not that interesting. Just some shows we did to get more people into the coalition”

 

 

“And I bet it worked very well”

 

 

Lance screeched and punched him in the gut, which was completely ineffective considering the solid wall of muscle his fist met. What was it with everyone bulking up with the Garrison’s training except him? Maybe the it was the food; he wouldn’t be so thin if he could get his hands on his mom’s ropa vieja.

 

 

The little place Sal had managed to fix into a cafeteria was a hole in the wall in a building that had kept standing and had been Garrison approved for use by the public. A few mismatched tables and chairs were set outside as well in a little closed off terrace. People sat with drinks and dishes that reminded Lance of what Hunk would fix up at the castle, a few humans and aliens in aprons waiting the tables as Sal himself was visible inside the open kitchen behind the counter.

 

 

When they went inside the shop an Unilu girl seated them in a table near the kitchen, where Sal had a clear view of them as he stopped chopping whatever he had been working on and popped his head out.

 

 

“Red paladin! What an honor to have you here!” He called out, loud enough the rest of the patrons turned to look at them.

 

 

Lance flushed under the stares, rubbing the back of his head. “Haha, hey Sal, long time no see”

 

 

The Galra nodded enthusiastically, pointing at the Unilu girl who would be waiting their table. “They get everything on the house, no questions”

 

 

“What?! No, we can’t do that, come on!” Lance protested. “We’ll pay like everyone else!”

 

 

Sal shook his head. “No can do, kiddo. There’s nothing I need from you and I’d say piloting Voltron and saving the universe is enough favors for a few lifetimes” He pointed at Ryan next to Lance. “And don’t think I’m forgetting about you, yellow paladin. Hunk has told me a lot about you when he drops by. On the house for you two”

 

 

He squinted at them briefly to get his point across and then slid back into the kitchen.

 

 

Lance sighed, accepting the little menus the waitress handed them and thanking her before she walked away. “These don’t even have prices. My mom didn’t raise me to order the most expensive thing when I’m not paying”

 

 

Ryan chuckled. “Well, technically no one’s paying. I’d say anything is game”

 

 

Lance hummed, eyes scanning the list. “What the--’Red Paladin Special’?” He brought the paper closer to his face and gasped. “’Cuban sandwich with a cup of café con leche in honor of the red paladin of Voltron, suggested by said paladin’s own mother’...wow” Lance brought his hand to his chest. “Really…?”

 

 

“That’s sounds good. What’s it made of?” Ryan asked him, completely ignoring his own menu as he laced his fingers and rested his chin on his hands.

 

 

Lance went on to explain his favorite comfort food as Ryan subtly called the waitress and made the order. It was so endearing how Lance could jump from one subject to another completely unrelated by just a word that reminded him of something else. He had so much to say and with such enthusiasm, it kinda made Ryan sad; he wasn’t blind, he could see the way the other members of Lance’s crew didn’t think he had much to say worth something.

 

 

Lance seemed to realize that same fact, as he stopped suddenly and cleared his throat. “Anyway, how about you? Top pilot of the Garrison, you must have a lot of juicy stories from these past years”

 

 

He shrugged, leaning back on his seat “It’s not that interesting. I spend the year here, then travel back to Haiti for the summer, spend time with my family, and then come back. Rinse and repeat”

 

 

“You’re Haitian? That’s amazing!” Lance exclaimed. “So you speak Creole?”

 

 

They made space for the waitress as she arrived, carrying both plates and cups in each of her four hands as she set them down in front of them. They thanked her and she nodded before leaving once more. “Creole, French and Spanish along with English” He grinned at Lance’s awed expression. “I tried to learn as much as possible when I was little. My cousin taught me Spanish, the rest is what was spoken in my house. English I learned on my own through TV and books”

 

 

“Star pilot, paladin of Voltron _and_ polyglot? You’re out of this world” Lance said, eyes wide in awe. He picked up his cup and brought it up to his face, inhaling deeply. “Oh man. This is the real deal. You can’t get this coffee in the Garrison”

 

 

Ryan took a sip of his own cup, humming in agreement. “It’s the same kind Veronica is always brewing in the officers’ lounge. You can’t get the smell out of the couches anymore”

 

 

“Sounds like my house” Lance smiled, but it was a sad one, looking down as he dragged his finger around the rim of the cup. “Though I doubt it’s still there anymore...but my family is here with me and that’s all that matters-”

 

 

Lance jumped when a hand fell on his own gently, stopping his idle movements. “It’s okay to miss home. Your family is safe and sound and you fought a war to protect them all, you are allowed to be selfish” He moved his hand away, not wanting Lance to burn himself with the steam of the cup.

 

 

Lance chose to move his own hand instead, setting it on the table while rearranging himself to hold Ryan’s back. It was really comforting, the little physical contact, the murmur of the crowd blending in the background, the familiar smell of homemade food. “I think I can be a bit more selfish” He murmured, looking up at his companion briefly before turning back to his food. He let go of the warm hand and picked up his sandwich. “Well, no use in letting _this_ baby go cold, right?”

 

 

Time flew by as they ate and talked—about Kinkade’s family, Lance’s knitting hobby, Ryan's hair care routine against Lance’s skincare one, Lance teaching baseball to his niece and nephew and Ryan playing in a little football soccer team with all his cousins. They’d finished a long while ago and only noticed how late it was when the orange light of the setting sun glinted through the window and blinded Lance for a second.

 

 

“Oh man, we really were having fun, huh?” He laughed, moving to stand up as the Unilu girl appeared to clean the table. Lance sneaked her a chocolate bar from his bag, making sure Sal wasn’t looking. She looked delighted and thanked them for their preference a bit louder than she usually would.

 

 

They walked leisurely back to the car, a comfortable silence stretching during the trip back as soft, rhythmic music played from Lance’s phone. It was starting to get dark by the time they were back, and a few cadets and civilians would be seen walking around, enjoying the cool night air of the desert and the clear view of the stars.

 

 

Lance’s clothes weren’t thick enough for the weather, his shoulders shivering at the cold wind that picked up. Ryan wrapped his arm around him and led him back inside.

 

 

Once nearing the living quarters they came upon the hall where they would split to reach each their respective rooms. Ryan surprised Lance by turning the way to the McClain’s rooms, arm still wrapped securely around him as he led him forward.

 

 

“You know, we have some flight drills on Monday, you should come” Ryan commented casually as they approached Lance’s door.

 

 

“On the lions? Sounds fun” He grinned, thinking how much he missed the speed and maneuverability of flying in them compared to human-made ships.

 

 

“Alright then, I’ll call you” He smiled as they arrived to their destination, slowly releasing Lance, letting his hand drag along his shoulders. “Good night, and thanks for coming with me today”

 

 

Lance felt his neck start to flush. “I had a lot of fun too” He rubbed the strap of his bag, smiling back at him. “Thanks for inviting me”

 

 

Ryan nodded, his smile turning warmer for a second before he turned around and walked to his own room. Lance jumped to his tiptoes and called back a goodnight to him as well before he was out of view, and sighed when he got a wave in response.

 

 

Lance felt really happy after today, and kept replaying their short outing over and over again. He hadn’t felt this sense of companionship in so long it was fogging his mind; so much so he didn’t hear the doors behind him sliding open, nor the hand of his sister creeping forward until it snatched him by the collar and pulled him inside, ready to be put under the onslaught of all his siblings’ teasing and questions about his new friend.

 

 

Monday evening found Lance in the yellow lion, hanging tight to the pilot’s seat as Ryan zipped through the air at neck-breaking speed. His laugh echoed through the cockpit as he saw everything in their peripheral blur as they flew by the desert hills.

 

 

“I never knew the big guy could go so fast!” He shouted through his own excitement.

 

 

“Not as fast as the red lion, I’d say” Ryan grinned as he did a barrel roll, making Lance howl with laughter. “But he sure can get going!”

 

 

The lion roared in agreement and launched forward, lifting a storm of dust behind it to lose sight of Rizavi on Red behind them. Dust that they would have to wash off as soon as they were back.

 

 

A screen popped up on the side, showing James’ face with Keith leaning in over his shoulder.

 

 

“Lance? You know the rules. You can’t help him navigate” Keith’s voice echoed through the comms, a frown on his face as he saw Lance’s face over Kinkade’s shoulder.

 

 

Lance huffed. “I’m not helping him, Keith. I don’t even know how the yellow lion ticks. I’m just here for the ride!”

 

 

“We’re supposed to be helping the new pilots of our old lions. You should be with Nadia”

 

 

“She doesn’t need me anymore, and Ryan picked up on Yellow so fast Hunk ran out of things to teach him!” Lance frowned at him, ignoring James’ raised eyebrows and unbelieving scoff. “I haven’t been on a lion in weeks, just let me have some fun”

 

 

“This is training for battle, Lance. War isn’t supposed to be fun”

 

 

“Uh, yeah. I should know, I _was_ in one” That seemed to have made Keith pause, his brow pulling back in surprise as James winced. “I know you’d like to forget I was there or whatever, but I also fought this war”

 

 

The comms went silent.

 

 

“Bye Keith” Lance shut the screen down, cutting the communication. He sighed and slid down to sit on the armrest of the pilot chair, arms crossing across his chest.

 

 

Ryan went silent for a moment. “Would you like to talk about it?”

 

 

Lance hunched his shoulders, pouting as he stared off to the side, watching the ruins of the city zip out of sight in the distance. He sighed, letting his shoulders drop. “It’s fine. Just been feeling a bit pent up lately”

 

 

“Well, this is exactly why we’re here, aren’t we?” Ryan said as he slowed the lion, landing it softly in an empty spot on the sand. The red and black lions flew by above them. “This is supposed to help you let loose; I know how much you love to fly”

 

 

Lance smiled softly. It wasn’t exactly a surprise to anyone how much he loved to fly, second only to swimming. He’d spent so much time doing it he almost felt uncomfortable on solid ground, heavy. “It _is_ helping, thank you” He sighed. “But I guess just flying the regulation Garrison ships isn’t enough now”

 

 

Ryan hummed. “Well then, let’s get you flying something better” He stood up, taking off his helmet and making Lance fall into the seat from his spot in the armrest with the sudden movement. He offered the helmet to Lance. “I’m sure the big guy would have no problem with you taking him for a spin”

 

 

Lance stared up at him, wide eyed and mouth gaping as he took in the helmet being trust in his direction. He sat up straight and, slowly, took the helmet from his hands. Yellow started purring encouragingly, the vibrations shaking Lance from his stupor.

 

 

“I can’t go too fast without the suit, it could send me flying without the magnetic seat holding me in” He mumbled, patting his fingers on the helmet. “And Yellow is bigger than Red or Blue, the extra size could make it more difficult to handle in sharp turns or sudden stops--”

 

 

“Lance” Ryan set his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It’ll be fine. We’ll make sure nothing happens” Yellow roared in agreement, shaking slightly from the want to go back to flying already. “Go ahead”

 

 

Lance took a deep breath, looked forward and carefully slid the helmet into place over his head. He could feel the metal automatically adjusting to his size, could hear the whirring of the engine more clearly, and feel the presence of the lion softly envelop him as he sat there. His hands fell on the controls and it was like a missing piece had fit back into his very being.

 

 

He giggled before he realized what he was doing, not even bothering to hide it. “Alright boy, let’s get this show on the road”

 

 

He took off, leaving behind a sandstorm and feeling lighter than air.

 

 

Ryan had taken up the place Lance had been in behind the chair, head thrown back in laughter. “This is way faster than I thought it could go!”

 

 

“Oh, you’ve seen nothing of what these babies can do yet” Lance grinned, taking a wide turn and flying up in a perfect spiral around a tall rock formation. “Let’s show your buddies what a paladin is capable of”

 

 

He zeroed in on the Red and Black lions, who were racing each other through an obstacle course they’d set up through natural occurring hills and rocks. He sped up and flew behind them until he found an opening and surrounded them, taking up the spot in front. The yellow lion coursed through the desert like a knife through butter, its hulking body gracefully avoiding rocks left and right while keeping a beautiful speed well past the others. He could see the other two behind him flying as fast as they could, but even the fastest lions were no match against him when it came to swiftly avoiding hitting the rocks surrounding them.

 

 

Finally the black lion flew up and away, back towards the Atlas as Red followed, with only Yellow left behind to turn around and go back as well.

 

 

Ryan was hiding his face in the back of the seat, shoulders shaking with mirth. Lance grinned as he slowed down and made his way back to the hangar, landing carefully in its spot and standing up while the lion lowered its jaw. He took the helmet off and handed it back to Ryan.

 

 

“Thank you. I really needed that” Lance said, walking down the ramp and out of the lion.

 

 

Ryan followed behind him, ruffling his hair. “Anytime, Lance. I think he enjoyed it as much as you did”

 

 

The yellow lion purred in response, looking at them with its glowing eyes somehow brimming with affection.

 

 

Keith strode across the hangar, Griffin and Rizavi hot on his heels as he approached the pair. “Lance, this is a training drill for the new paladins, you can’t pilot yourself”

 

 

Lance frowned at him. “Don’t say it like I don’t know that. We’ve all fought together before, me being five minutes behind the wheel isn’t gonna compromise the Earth’s defenses”

 

 

“ _Any_ time lost could be a set back, we have to be prepared--”

 

 

“With all due respect, sir” Ryan stepped forward, not forgetting Keith’s new official rank above them. “I was the one who proposed Lance he flew for a while. I dare say I learned more from watching him in that short time than I would’ve learned flying on my own. I didn’t even dream the yellow lion could go so fast without losing track. Lance has invaluable input in the way I could better myself as a paladin”

 

 

Keith looked at him wide eyed, looking between him and Lance. He must not have liked what he saw, as he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “Keep it theoretical next time, _cadet_ ”

 

 

He stalked off, leaving them behind as Lance crossed his arms and leaned against Ryan’s side. “I know they say time changes people but that guy took it too seriously”

 

 

“He seems the same to me” James shrugged as he took off his armor in favor of his uniform jacket. “Too good to listen to anyone”

 

 

“I don’t know, he listens to Shiro” Nadia said. “Maybe he needs some vacations”

 

 

“The day Keith Kogane takes a day off is the day Lotor chops all his hair off” Lance muttered.

 

 

Ryan wrapped his arm around him as he did so often as of late. “Come on. We had too much fun to let a grumpy man ruin it, right?”

 

 

Lance huffed a laugh, letting his hand fall on top of Ryan’s on his shoulder. “Yeah, guess you’re right” He sighed. “Let’s go get dinner. I’d kill for some cake if I can get my hands on it”

 

 

“I’ll find you some”

 

 

“Oh, my hero”

 

 

They walked out of the hangar, oblivious to the looks the remaining two pilots were giving them.

 

 

“So that’s what Veronica meant, huh” Nadia said, grinning at how Kinkade tried to glue his side to Lance’s as inconspicuously as possible.

 

 

James snorted. “Never thought I’d see the day someone hits on McClain so blatantly without him noticing”

 

 

“Oh you didn’t see poor Keith up there”

 

 

The new voice made them jump in their spots, both turning around to find Hunk up to his waist inside a turbine, a tool box on the floor next to him.

 

 

“When did _you_ get here?” James asked over his heart attack.

 

 

“Been here like half an hour. You guys take really long flights” Hunk jumped down from his stool, sitting down on it as he cleaned a spot of grease from his cheek.

 

 

“What did you mean about that, with Keith?” Nadia asked. “You don’t mean he--”

 

 

“--tried to flirt with Lance? Yes” Hunk smiled, albeit a bit sadly. “He’s terrible at it, but it was sweet and kinda obvious. Lance even reciprocated after a while” He frowned. “I genuinely thought there was something happening there, but then Keith left for the Blade of Marmora, and then the two years he spent on a space whale” He sighed. “When he came back he was...different. Lance was ready to pick it up wherever they’d left, but Keith was too preoccupied with battling and the mess with Shiro; he didn’t give Lance the time of day, not even when the war was over”

 

 

“And let me guess, Keith started to realize he’s still interested now that Lance has a new potential suitor?” Nadia deadpanned.

 

 

Hunk hummed. “Most likely. He’s a very complicated person when it comes to his own emotions. Wouldn’t put it past him to need a trigger to realize his own feelings”

 

 

James finished changing into his uniform, making his way out. “As long as it doesn’t mess with training, they can have their telenovela all they want. I’m gonna take a shower”

 

 

They saw him leave, equal blank expressions on their faces. “Black paladins are a riot, huh?” Nadia asked.

 

 

“Oh you have no idea”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They were cleaning the last segment of Yellow’s tail when Ryan finally said what he’d been pacing himself for.

 

 

“Hey Lance?”

 

 

“Hmm?” Lance hummed as he fought with a bit of grime stuck between two plates.

 

 

He looked at Lance with the most serious face he’d made in the weeks he’d spent with him. “Do you wanna go out with me?”

 

 

Lance stopped and looked at him, tilting his head in confusion. “Sure? Why the face? We go out a lot lately”

 

 

“No, I mean” He walked up to Lance and took his hand, still covered in soap, and brought it close to his chest as he looked at the boy in the eye. “Would you like to go out with me, in a date?”

 

 

Lance slipped on a soapy puddle and would’ve fallen on his back if Ryan’s arms didn’t wrap around him.

 

 

His whole face flushed up to the ears, the position he’d fallen in made his hands land on Ryan's’ chest. He was let go the moment he gathered his footing, staring up at him amazement.

 

 

Lance coughed into his fist. “That’s, huh, a real string of words you just said”

 

 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, I unders--”

 

 

“No, no!” Lance waved his hands around frantically. “It’s not that” He rubbed his arm, bashful. “I...I’d like that”

 

 

“Really?” Ryan smiled, then pulled his eyebrows together, leaning down slightly to be eye-level with Lance. “Because I don’t want you to agree just because you feel obligated”

 

 

“I’m not! Seriously” He laughed, mimicking Ryan’s gesture and taking his hand. “I’d...I’d be lying if I say I...hadn’t considered it” His voice went softer at the end, and his eyes alternated between looking at their hands or at his eyes.

 

 

And he had, oh so very much. Lance wasn’t lying when he described himself as a hopeless romantic, but it had the little side effect of falling a little in love with every person that was nice to him. Had happened with Hunk, had happened with Keith, had happened with Allura and a ton of other people in his life that had all ended in heartbreak for him. When Ryan approached him out of nowhere, so nice and asking him for help, Lance knew he shouldn’t get his hopes up but goddammit this man was another thing. Smart, talented, nice, handsome, _tall_. He was checking all of Lance’s boxes and, while he was a delight to be friends with, they spent so much time together it was hard for Lance not to catch feelings.

 

 

He wouldn’t have acted on his attraction, not unless he saw explicit hints of him being interested in something more; he just didn’t expect he’d straight up ask him out.

 

 

But he had, and was looking at him with these soft eyes and warm smile, and Lance kind of really wanted his arms to wrap around him again because he felt he was melting under that gaze.

 

 

Ryan brought Lance’s hand up and placed a soft kiss on his knuckles. “Thank you. I’ll make it worth your time, I promise”

 

 

Lance bit his lip, rubbing his thumb over Ryan’s knuckles. “It already is”

 

 

The rumble of the yellow lion made them jump as they turned towards the robot’s lit up eyes staring at them over its shoulder, wondering why they weren’t cleaning its tail. Lance laughed and picked up his sponge, throwing it at Ryan's face while the other wasn’t looking. Ryan sputtered at the soap in his mouth and lunged for Lance, wrapping an arm around his waist and mercilessly tickling him with the other while the former paladin shrieked with laughter.

 

 

Yellow tilted its head, purring in confusion at his paladin but deciding as long as he looked this happy, they could take their time.

 

 

So long as his tail was clean before they left.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Where are we even going? I haven’t packed this much since I moved to the Garrison”

 

 

They were loading boxes upon boxes on the back of the car, Lance having no idea what was inside since Ryan had insisted the date be a surprise. He had only told Lance it was more of a long trip and most likely they’d be gone the whole weekend. They’d gone in a few normal dates since the day Ryan had asked him officially out, but they’d all been limited to the Garrison and its surroundings since being stuck in the middle of the desert wasn’t exactly advantageous to the romantic scene.

 

 

This date Ryan had promised would finally be the real deal; he’d asked permission to leave for the weekend and Lance had permanent clearance.

 

 

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it” Ryan answered, setting down the bag he was carrying and pulling Lance close to kiss his cheek. “You’ll love it”

 

 

Lance’s giggle escaped him before he could help it, and he slapped a hand over his mouth trying to hide his wide grin. He had never been on the receiving end of the lovey-dovey gestures since all his dates had been girls and he’d tasked himself with giving them. It made him giddy and had his chest twisting with mushy feelings all the time.

 

 

It was early morning, the sun lazily drifting above them through the clear blue sky. Lance had packed breakfast to go since ‘ _food 's_ _half the fun of the trip! Come on, everyone knows that!_ ’.

 

 

The hour long trip went by too fast in Lance’s opinion, or maybe he was just having too much fun sipping on his coffee as he helped Ryan bite into his sandwich while he drove—it was really easy to drive when the road was absolutely empty and there was only plain desert all around, he could probably steer with his knees if he wanted, but he was nothing if not responsible. Lance had brought a book of funny short stories he read aloud to his absolute delight of hearing his partner choke on his laughter at the sudden punchlines. He had to tone it down at some point if he didn’t want Ryan to swerve the car, but their destination was near enough they could spend the last few minutes just talking or singing along to their music.

 

 

Lance first noticed the change in the wind through his open window; it went from dry and still to cold and so fast it was slapping his face. Then he noticed the sandy hills and buttes disappearing from the line of the horizon.

 

 

Then he heard the gulls.

 

 

“No way” He whispered, sticking his head out of the window. The salt in the air dried his lips and the softening of the earth under the car made it slow down enough for Lance to properly appreciate the wide expanse of the ocean in front of him.

 

 

Ryan parked the car on a grassy outcropping and stopped the car, smiling as Lance launched himself out of it and stood still, staring at the water, the roaring of the waves deafening him.

 

 

“I managed to find a beach near the Garrison that was free of debris and had high enough ground for camping” Ryan said, turning to the trunk of the car to pull out the bag he’d been carrying. “Let’s set up the tent and then we’ll have all weekend to play”

 

 

Lance almost ripped the bag out of his hands, stopping to stand on his tiptoes and place an excessively loud kiss on his nose before running off to find the best spot to set up camp. They had it up and ready in minutes and Ryan handed Lance one of the swimming trunks he’d packed so he could change inside while he unloaded a couple of boxes they’d be needing.

 

 

Lance was almost like an excited puppy, wriggling in place while Ryan tried to apply the sunscreen to his back. Luckily it was the instant drying kind so Lance could just dive in the moment he was done, which is exactly what he did. He fell backwards into the shallow water, letting the soft waves rock him in the surface as he enjoyed the coldness of it lapping at his body, weightless as he stared at the sky through half-lidded eyes.

 

 

His smile turned into a grin when Ryan’s face appeared above him, and he made grabby hands at him at the risk of sinking below the waterline.

 

 

“Having fun?” Ryan asked, sitting down next to him in the water, submerged down to his navel. Lance let himself sink to sit as well, face to face with each other.

 

 

“I don’t think ‘fun’ covers it” He said, smile painful on his face but for the life of him he couldn’t get rid of it. “I can’t believe you did this for me”

 

 

“Take it also as a way to thank you for all your help with Yellow” Ryan said. “But mostly just wanted to make you happy”

 

 

Lance fell back into the water, completely under as he covered his face and tiny bubbles escaped his mouth. Ryan chuckled and patted his leg, knowing Lance could stay down there for a long time perfectly fine. He resurfaced soon after, hair dripping and slicked back in a way that had Ryan feeling a kind of heat that had nothing to do with the sun.

 

 

“Stop that, you’re making me feel bad I’m not doing anything for you” Lance pouted, playfully shoving his shoulder.

 

 

Ryan grabbed his hand before he could take it back. “Don’t say that, just having agreed to date me is making me more than happy”

 

 

Lance shivered, blush now visible all the way down his freckled—oh my god, _freckled—_ shoulders. “Speaking of that...are we...” He waved his free hand in the air. “You know...”

 

 

“Boyfriends?”

 

 

Lance squeaked, hunching his shoulders and biting his lip as he nodded slowly. God, dating seriously turned him into a pile of mush.

 

 

“I’d love to, but it’s a two-person decision, don’t you think?” Ryan was so nice, so soft when talking about these things, Lance couldn’t help moving to wrap his arms around his neck, kneeling in the sand beneath.

 

 

“I’d like that too” He whispered against his neck, the fact he was getting Ryan wet in the back of his head, especially when his—oh god— _boyfriend_ started rubbing his back lovingly, the other hand finding the wet strands of Lance’s hair to card through. It was perfect.

 

 

Or at least it was until Ryan tightened his grip on him and fell back, effectively laying both of them into the water with a loud splash as he laughed that deep, rumbling laugh of his at Lance’s sputtering at the water splashing his face.

 

 

“Oh it’s on, _babe_ ”

 

 

The day went by easily, playing in the water until their stomachs complained with hunger, then eating the pile of sandwiches Ryan had packed that morning, sunbathing until the time was right to get back in the water until the sun started to go down. They’d gathered enough driftwood to start a sizable fire to boil water for hot chocolate and coffee while their s’mores melted on their fingers.

 

 

Lance was wearing what Veronica insisted he’d wear all the time in the beach when she was helping Ryan pack for him in secret, and he was genuinely surprised it was indeed what Lance liked to wear instead of just a ploy from his boyfriend’s sister to rile Ryan up. The oversized blue hoodie was something he expected the boy to wear, but the cutoff shorts were a surprise; a nice surprise that left Ryan with miles and miles of shapely legs to covertly stare at. He couldn’t help but think if Lance combined these shorts with the crop top he wore on their first outing Ryan would get a heart attack for real.

 

 

Damn this boy riled him up.

 

 

“You can look, you know” Lance’s voice distracted him from his mission, a knowing smile on his face as he stretched his legs and leaned against Ryan's shoulder, latching onto his arm. “I work them really hard, would be a pity if no one enjoyed them”

 

 

“I, uh” Ryan felt speechless for the first time in his life.

 

 

Lance laughed. “Besides, you’re my boyfriend. You’re, like, the only person allowed to stare”

 

 

Ryan bit his lip, turning his head fully and allowing himself the full view of those very nice legs, shining under the flickering light of the fire. Suddenly one of them was set over his lap.

 

 

“Feel them” Lance grinned, playful.

 

 

“W-Why do you... _oh_ ” He let his hand drop lightly above the ankle, meeting unbelievable soft skin. “You shaved?”

 

 

“Always do. Moisturize too” He laughed, wriggling his toes as Ryan’s hand tickled his leg with the soft sweep it did upwards. “They’re my best asset, gotta take care of them”

 

 

“Please, all of you is your best asset”

 

 

“Oh my _god!”_ Lance shouted, hiding his face in Ryan’s shoulder. “Do you wanna battle, mister? I’ll give you battle” He dragged his hand down his boyfriend’s arm, intertwining their fingers together. “ _You_ have to be the most strikingly handsome man I’ve ever met in my life. Your face is to _die_ for, I literally can’t choose what to say I like the most because it’d all be a lie; it’s a _masterpiece”_

 

 

Ryan could feel his face heat up, and he covered his mouth with his hand. “Stop...” He whined—whined! Lance was winning.

 

 

He continued. “You’re so goddamned smart? With how much you know and the way you move in a ship I cannot believe they still haven’t turned you into an official. And you’re so nice to top it off! You have the most excuses to be completely full of yourself because you’re virtually perfect? But you don’t!” Lance looked at him, suddenly very serious. “No one in this place outside of my family has even been as half as nice as you’ve been, completely selfless and thoughtful. And did I mention how _beautiful_ you are? Un-fucking-believable”

 

 

Ryan was now covering his face with both hands, Lance’s own squeezed nicely in the crook of his bicep from the angle.

 

 

“Come on love, look at me” He could hear the smile on Lance’s voice, and the sweet pet name had him willing to comply with anything the other asked.

 

 

When his hands dropped from his face Lance moved his own to cup Ryan's jaw softly, turning his head this way and that to shower kisses all over his face; cheeks, nose, forehead, jaw. No place was safe from him. He slowed down when their eyes met, a soft smile on both their faces as they met halfway, lips meeting softly in a tender kiss that had Lance sighing so deeply he felt he was deflating all over the sand.

 

 

When he pulled back—he _really_ didn’t want to, but he had to breathe sometimes--, Lance was gifted with the sight of Ryan eyes still closed, lips parted slightly as if he hadn’t realized Lance wasn’t there anymore. It was so sweet.

 

 

He finally blinked his eyes open, slow and drowsy as he took in Lance’s content face looking up at him. Lance took the chance to bury his face in Ryan’s neck, breathing in the mix of salt and sunscreen that always made him feel safe and at home. He moved to curl up on his boyfriend’s lap, sighing when those strong arms wrapped around his waist and cuddled him closer, the sweet smell of chocolate filling his lungs as he was handed his mug back. Everything was absolutely perfect and Lance had never in his life thought he’d end up where he was right now; in a dreamy weekend date in his favorite place, cuddling with his boyfriend.

 

 

War and space had been a wild trip, there and back, but if it had landed him where he was right now, Lance wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

 

 

 

 

(And if he’d changed his contact to ‘RyRy’ with a yellow heart emoji next to the lion, well, that was his own business)

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Keith's dumbass realizing too late his dream boy has a whole 'nother mans actually treating him RIGHT lmao he's so mad
> 
> I wanted to add a scene with Keith and Shiro where Keith talked about how he knew he fucked up and lost Lance on the way but didn't have to like someone else going after him because he was selfish and Shiro being like pls get over it. Which is why Keith's nasty with Kinkade here; he's mad jelly
> 
> I also wanted the first kiss scene to be with Lance helping patch up Kinkade at the infirmary but I couldn't figure out what could leave him scrapped enough he'd need help without messing with the Yellow lion or making a ship explode which, after Adam, I'm NOT TOUCHING


End file.
